Tavon Wilson steps up for Patriots

Saturday

Oct 13, 2012 at 6:00 AM

By Jennifer Toland TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Patriots rookie safety Tavon Wilson made his first career start against the Denver Broncos, and it won't be his last. With Steve Gregory missing another game because of a hip injury, Wilson can expect to get the call again tomorrow in Seattle.

“Every week is an opportunity, so you just have to be up for the challenge,” Wilson said yesterday.

In the first four games of the year, Wilson was used on special teams and as an extra defensive back, and certainly seemed to earn additional playing time with his aggressiveness and nose for the ball.

The Patriots have 14 takeaways. Wilson has been involved in four of them, with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He also has been credited with three passes defensed.

“I try to run to the ball every play,” Wilson said. “Swarming the ball — that's something great defenses do, so that's something that I try to do.”

Wilson made 10 tackles in last week's 31-21 win over the Broncos.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Wilson was a surprise second-round draft pick out of Illinois. He wasn't at the NFL Combine and was projected to go much later in the draft or not get drafted at all.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick liked Wilson's versatility — he played safety, corner, inside, nickel and dime positions at Illinois. His teammates have praised him for his smarts.

“Every week is a new week,” Wilson said. “You have to approach it that way. You have to study it that way. You're only as good as your last game. I try to come in here every week and try to take on a new challenge.”

Wilson was one of six defensive players (out of seven) that the Patriots drafted in April. First-rounders Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower were immediate contributors. Third-rounder Jake Bequette has played in just one game. Sixth-rounder Nate Ebner has played on special teams, and seventh-rounder Alfonzo Dennard, who had been nursing a hamstring injury, made his NFL debut last week.

“I feel like all of us are very close,” Wilson said of the rookie class. “When you come in with someone, most of the time you're very close with them. All of us spend a lot of time together, but that's just how our team is, so that's something we caught on to the older guys doing.”

With Leon Washington leading the way, the Seahawks have a dangerous return game.

In Seattle's Week 1 game against Arizona, Washington had a punt return of 52 yards and a kickoff return of 83 yards. Both set up scores.

Washington ranks second in the NFL with a 34.3-yard kickoff-return average. The seventh-year veteran, who previously played for the Jets, has seven career kickoff returns for touchdowns to put him second all-time in that category.

“It's no mystery how talented Leon is,” special teams captain Matt Slater said. “He runs with great vision, he has great balance, and he breaks a lot of tackles. Then he's got the guys who are blocking for him, and I'm sure Leon would say those guys do a great job for him.

“They out-compete their opponents a lot of time. They outwork them and out-compete them finishing blocks because they know they have a guy who can take it the distance.”

Washington became the first player in NFL history to return three kickoffs for TDs in two different seasons (2007, 2010) and his 253 total kickoff-return yards against San Diego in 2010 is a Seattle single-game record.

The Patriots have allowed three kick returns of 30 yards or more this season — Tennessee's Darius Reynaud had a long of 40 yards — and their kick coverage unit ranks ninth in the league, allowing an average of 21.1 yards per return.

“It's going to be a challenge for us,” Slater said. “We have to try to match their energy and go out and just compete one play at a time.”

Belichick said tight end Aaron Hernandez, who is coming back from an ankle injury, could be a game-time decision.

Hernandez suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Cardinals. He returned to practice last week on a limited basis.

“We'll just have to see how it goes,” Belichick said. “We'll have a day to evaluate it (today) and we'll see where we're at (tomorrow).”

Like the Patriots, the Seahawks have had a number of first-year impact players.

In addition to rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, there are defensive end Bruce Irvin, who ranks second on the team with 4.5 sacks; linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has made four starts, and running back Robert Turbin, who backs up Marshawn Lynch.

“They have a lot of good, young players,” Belichick said. “They've gotten good production out of them. They've drafted well. (Seahawks coach) Pete (Carroll) has put together a real good football team. I think he's done a great job of turning that roster over.”

With an average age of 26 years, 103 days, the Seahawks have the third-youngest roster in the league.